During a visit to the Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources’ decentralised offices in Clonakilty on 2 November, Irish Minister of State, John Brown T.D., announced that the new independent statutory Sea Fisheries Protection Authority will be established on 1 January 2007.
The Authority will be legally charged with the State's sea fisheries law enforcement functions and will be operated by a board of three independent commissioners.
Recruitment of Members of the Authority is currently being handled by the Public Appointments Service The Authority will enforce the EU Common Fisheries Policy and sea-fisheries law generally and food safety law relating to fish and fishery products.
A fully representative (14 person) statutory Consultative Committee will be appointed by the Minister to ensure the sector can formally input to the work of the new Authority.
A system for dealing with individual complaints and concerns is also to be set up, through the appointment of individual Complaints Officers.
The Headquarters will be permanently located in Clonakilty in conjunction with the new National Marine Headquarters, which will when completed in 2008, and will accommodate 210 civil and public servants.
Addressing staff of the Department at decentralised offices in Clonakilty, Minister Browne praised the progress made to date on decentralisation. "I am delighted to witness first-hand the enormous strides that are being made on decentralisation in Clonakilty. Already there are some 40 staff carrying out important functions of the Department here. This figure is increasing steadily and I am pleased to confirm that the entire Marine functions of the Department are on track for complete decentralisation to Clonakilty by Summer 2007."
